Bottle-filler valve



March 31. 1925.

o. LARSE N BOTTLE FILLER VALVE 1 m a t 7 m 6 5 8 a m w W S W 7 @5524 1 nm j ifiiiiii 2 ilwllifll I. 2 H H M. y m d e 4 m r .5 a 9 F iii i 7/ 4pmg H a m T w March 31. 1925. 1,531,794

0. LARSEN BOTTLE FILLER VALVE Fi1dNo.1'7, 28h t-sntz 9 V 1922 F763: on

fiden-Zoy 024 425622 w Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLA]? LARSEN, OF FOR-T ATKINSON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CREAMERYPACK- AGE MFG, COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPQRATIONOF'ILLINO'IS.

BOTTLE-FILLER VALVE.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLAF LARSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Atkinson, in the county of Jefferson and the State oflVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottle-Filler Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the valves e1nployed in liquid containerfilling apparatus for controlling the discharge of liquid from areservoir into the bottles or other containers and more particularlyrelates to such valves in apparatus adapted to the bottling of milk.

The usual construction of such apparatus includes a reservoir from whichdepend one or more discharge tubes, each having a terminal dischargeorifice controlled by valve mechanism operable by contact with thebottle to be filled.

It is an object of this invention to provide a filler valve in which theopening and closing of the discharge orifice is accomplished positivelyso that any accumulation of thickened liquid or slight friction betweenthe parts will not cause the valve to'adhere to its seat and fail toopen, as often occurs when the opening operation is effected by gravityalone.

Another object is to provide a reversible valve seat, thereby enablingimmediate repair without material loss of operating time in case ofinjury to the seat and conseql'ient leakage from the valve orifice.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent in the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of my invention which I haveselected for illustration in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view of adischarge tube and controlling valve mechanism in closed position. Fig.2 is a similar view of the parts in open position. Fig. 3 is a planofthe parts viewed from the interior of the supply reservoir. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 44 in Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the reversible seat member. Fig. 6represents an operative assembly of the valve in filling apparatus.

Referring first to Fig. (3, the apparatus may be described generally. ascomprising a reservoir 1 in the bottom of which are positioned dependentdischarge tubes 2 communicating with the interior of the reservoirReferring now more specifically to the filler tube and valveconstruction as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, a guide ring 5 ispositioned in an appropriate opening in the bottom wall of thereservoir, preferably having a flared portion fi extending over thereservoir wall, and secured in liquid tight attachment preferably bymeans of a collar 7 threaded on the guide ring in'abutment with theunderside of the reservoir wall.

Supported within the guide ring 5, and in liquid tight slidingengagement therewith, is a tube 8 extending a substantial distance belowthe guide ring. The lower portion 9 of the tube 8 is of reduced outerdiameter terminating upwardly in a shoulder 10. overlying the portion 9of the tube 8 is a sleeve 11 in liquid tight slidable relation theretoand extending below the end of the tube. A yielding annular bottleclosure 14:, preferably rubber, removablysurrounds the lower portion ofthe sleeve 11. and abuts a collar 12, fixed on the mid-portion of thesleeve 11. A bell member 13, supported on the collar 12, forms a canopyabout the lower end of the sleeve 11 to prevent the lateral spray andloss of milk escaping ins 18 on its lower edges proportioned to fit thetapered mouth 19 of the guide ring 6, and thereby maintain the vent tubein cen tral position.

The lower end of the vent tube 15 carries an annular valve member 20projecting outwardly of the sleeve 11 and of suflicient diameter toefiiect a closure of the lower terminal opening of the sleeve when inabutment with the sleeve end. Closure of the sleeve end opening ordischarge orifice is normally maintained by a coiled spring 21 confinedat its lower end by the sleeve collar 12 and the upper wall of the bell13 and at its upper end by the collar 7. The spring tends to force thesleeve 11 into el'igageinent with the valve 20, and thereby draw downthe vent tube 15 to the limit of engagement between the clip l6 and theguide ring 6, in which position the valve orifice is closed.

The upper surface of the valve 20 is preferably conical, the engagingend of the sleeve 11 being suitably shaped to form a seat therefor. Thelower surface of the valve also may be tapered to facilitate the flow ofpassing liquid, and is preferably provided with an annular recess 21about the terminal opening of the vent tube to prevent the prematureback flow through the vent tube of liquid flowing over the valve,-andpreventing the consequent interference with the discharge through thevent tube of the air being displaced from the bottle by the inflowingliquid. v

The upper end of the sleeve 11 also is shaped suitably to form a seatfor the valve 20, and in case of injury to the opera tive lower end, theclip 16 may be removed from the vent tube, the latter withdrawndownwardly, and the sleeve 11 with its supported parts removed from thetube 8. By simply reversing the positions of the bell 13 and closure 14,the sleeve 11 may be reversably assembled on the tube 8-, provi l ingthereby a new seat for the valve.

Positioned on the vent tube 1-5 adj'z'lcent the valve member 20', areaseries of lined radial arms or vanes 22 extending proximately to thelower end'of the tube 8 and to the inner surface of the sleeve 11, thevanes "22 serving to assure the positive openingof the valve 20 and alsoto maintain the latter in central position relative to its sea-t.

lVh'en the parts are in normal position elfecting a closure the valve,the upper end of the sleeve 11 is spaced from the shoulder 10. Upon thelifting 'ei'igagement of a bottle with the closure riirg M, the sleeve11 is lifted until it abuts the shoulder 10, and with the further riseof "the bottle the tube 8 is also carried upward through the guide ring6. The lesser amount of friction between the sleeve 11 and the 'tu'beportion 9 than between the tube 8 and the guide ring 6, due to thesmaller hoarii-ig area, assures the closing of the space be tween theend of the sleeve 11 and the shoulder 10 before the tube 8 is lifted.The relative movement of the sleeve in closing this space determines theextent of the opening of the discharge orifice. The further lift of themechanism carries upward the clip 16 and maintains the vent tube andvalve supported thereon in constant relation to the discharge tube. Itwill here be apparent that a uniform filling flow of liquid may beobtained Without variation due to slightly varying heights of thebottles.

If the valve 20 tends to adhere to its seat and rise with the sleeve 11,the vanes 22 immediately are engaged by the end of telescoping portions9 of the tube 8, and with the initial movement of the sleeve 11 thevalve is forced from its seat, thus assuring a positively and fullyopened orifice during the filling operation.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a simple durableconstruction for the effective accomplishment of the purposes andobjects set forth.

I claim as my invention:

'1. A device of the class described comprising a liquid discharge tube,a sleeve removably mounted on said tube and overextending an endthereof, said sleeve being endwardly reversible and having both endsadapted to form valve seats, a vent tube positioned in said dischargetube, and a valve member carried by said vent tube adapted to be seatedupon the over-extendin-g end of said sleeve.

2. A-device of the class described comprising a liquid discharge tube,asleeve slidably mounted on said tube and over-extending one end thereof,said sleeve being endwardly reversible and having both ends adapted toform valve seats, a collar centrally positioned 011 said sleeve, abottle closure interch ange'ably mounted on either end portion of saidsleeve in abutment with said collar, a stop on said discharge tubelimiting the inward movement of said sleeve, a vent tube within saiddischarge tube, a valve member carried by said vent tube adapted toco-operate with the over-extended end of said sleeve to control a flowof liquid from said discharge tube, and yielding means for nor mally inaintahiing said sleeve in seated rela tion to said valve member.

3. A device of the class described comprising a liquid discharge tube, asleeve sl-iolably moi mted on said tube and *OVGI QXtGHCl-lng the endthereof, a vent tube extending through said discharge tube, a valvemember carried by said vent 'tube adapted to be seated upon the outerend of said sleeve, said sleeve being operable inwardly from said valvemember to open an orifice therebe tween, and a radial arm on said venttube extending proximately to the end of said discharge tube adapted tobe engaged thereby upon the inward movement of said sleeve to dislodgesaid valve member from its seat.

4. A device of the class described comprising a liquid discharge tube, asleeve slidably mounted on said tube and over-extending the end thereof,a vent tube extending through said discharge tube in spaced relationthereto, a valve member carried by said vent tube adapted to be seatedupon the outer end of said sleeve, said sleeve being operable inwardlyfrom said valve member to open an orifice therebetween, and a pluralityof radial arms on said vent tube extending proximately to the inner wallof said sleeve and to the end of said discharge tube, said arms beingadapted to maintain laterally the position of said valve member and tobe engaged by the end of said discharge tube upon the inward movement ofsaid sleeve to dislodge said valve member from its seat.

5. In a device of the class described, a support having a guide bearingwith a tapered end portion, a discharge tube slidably mounted in saidbearing, a vent tube extending through said discharge tube in spacedrelation thereto, a valve member carried by said vent tube adapted tooperatively effect the closure of one end of said discharge tube, a clipembracing said vent tube adjacent the opposite end of said dischargetube, and a tapered projection on said clip adapted to enter the taperedportion of said bearing to centrally position said vent tube relative tosaid discharge tube.

6. A device of the class described compris-- ing a guide ring, a liquiddischarge tube slidably supported in said guide ring, an endwardlyreversible sleeve slidably mounted on said discharge tube and extendingoutwardly from the end thereof, a stop on said discharge tube limitingthe inward movement of said sleeve, a vent tube extending through saiddischarge tube, a valve mounted on one end of said vent tube adapted tobe seated upon the extended end of said sleeve to effect a closure ofsaiddischarge tube, supporting means for the other end of said vent tubeadapted to limit movement thereof inwardly of said guide ring, and

s rin" means bearin u on said uide rin b C b and said sleeve adapted toyieldingly maintain said sleeve in seated relation to said valve member,said sleeve being operable, inwardly from said valve member intoabutment with said stop to effect anopening of pre-determined extentbetween said sleeve and said valve member, and being further operable insuch position to move said tube through said guide ring.

In witness whereof Iv have hereunto set my hand.

OLAF LARSEN,

